Personal

It wasn’t until Jodee Mundy was five years old and lost at Kmart that she realised the rest of her family was Deaf. She didn’t see ‘disability’ – only the love and protection of those closest to her.

In Personal, she conveys her experience as the only hearing person in a Deaf family, through a captivating blend of performance, storytelling, multimedia and animation. Mundy delves into the contradictions of inhabiting two worlds: living in a Deaf family, where using sign language is natural; and living in a society that sees only the family’s disability with voyeuristic curiosity.

The role children of Deaf adults play in paving the way for their family – as interpreter, authority, conduit – is central to this very intimate story. Created with a talented team of collaborators and presented in two languages via a virtual interpreter, Personal is a smart, touching and deeply personal work exploring dis/ability and how we perceive one another.

“Personal, aside from a triumphant piece of performance and live theatre, does something special; it bridges divides, it removes, within this context, “us” and “them”. Not often does theatre, despite the best of intentions, achieve such heights.” Melbourne Critique

“Jodee Mundy’s Personal is a winning and inclusive tonic, consistently hilarious and informative”. Time Out

“Luckily Personal doesn’t discriminate. Inviting deaf and hearing audiences alike. This is a notable and important example of where access is not part of the performance, access is the performance”. Arts Hub

“Throughout Personal, Mundy shows us that her family is unique only because it traverses the line between two worlds; otherwise, it is like any other family – filled with laughter, frustration, anger, joy and love”. Theatre Press'A searching, poignant and gently comic solo performance' Sydney Morning Herald

World Premiere Presented by Arts House, North Melbourne Town Hall24th-29th April 2018

This show is in Auslan and English. The venue is wheelchair accessible.Tickets: $35/$30/ 25 Book here: http://www.artshouse.com.au/events/personal/_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

​Supported by – the Federal Government and Victorian Government through the Australia Council for the Arts, Catalyst, Creative Victoria and the Besen Family Foundation.

Its development was supported by the Australian Government through Australia Council, it's arts funding and advisory body; the City of Yarra; HotHouse Theatre ; Polyglot Theatre; Auspicious Arts Projects; VicDeaf; and KODA

Acknowledgements – Personal was developed in collaboration with Jodee's family members